


Stay With Me

by Namesake



Series: Brainia Mini Fics [2]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt!Brainy, Hurt/Comfort, Sick Character, Sleepy Cuddles, post 5x19
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:54:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24396862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Namesake/pseuds/Namesake
Summary: In the aftermath of 5x19, Nia and the Super Friends race to save Brainy before it's too late.The radiation shield has taken its toll on him, but no one said saving the world would be easy. Still, his family won't let him suffer the consequences alone.
Relationships: Alex Danvers & Querl Dox, Kara Danvers & Querl Dox, Querl Dox & J'onn J'onzz, Querl Dox/Nia Nal
Series: Brainia Mini Fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1765648
Comments: 20
Kudos: 80





	Stay With Me

**Author's Note:**

> I've neglected so many other projects to do this, but I had to. I just had to. 
> 
> Big shout-out to Beth who requested this as a prompt. (This story was originally going to be included on my Brainia prompt fic, but then I glanced at the word count and, whoo boy, I figured this might just have to be a stand-alone piece.) 
> 
> In addition, I thought this deserved to stand alone as I wanted to focus on not just Nia and Brainy's relationship, but how Brainy sacraficing himself like that would affect the rest of the Super Friends as well. I hope I did it justice!
> 
> Kudos and comments are always greatly appreciated. If you have a moment, let me know what you think, and thank you for reading!

The pieces kept flooding together. They wouldn’t _stop._

Nia didn’t remember the journey to Leviathan’s base of operations, her entire field of vision was off kilter, constantly bombarded with flashes of imagery. A network of nodes and buttons in alien script, Brainy’s face, a flash of teeth that wasn’t quite a smile. Something knowing, something imperious in his expression. There were poker chips strewn across a green surface, and cards that, face-down, bore the familiar faces of Lex Luthor, Gamemnae, Rama Khan and… Brainy. Brainy was on the cards, but he was also playing the game. But he was also _being_ played. By Lex. A network of strings as fine as silk branching from Brainy’s card, linking him to everything, to nothing, to… to…

Nia nearly stumbled when she set foot inside of the casino. The images bled together, overlapping to try and make sense of her new reality. This wasn’t her dream, and yet she still treaded carefully, uncertain by the glaring lights and scent of ash in the air. She blinked about herself, clenching her hands.

Then, she saw it. Through an opening at the centre of the unnervingly human display before her, she could see the flashing of a console, glaring and alien. A second later, she heard someone cry Brainy’s name.

It took her several more seconds to realise that the voice had been hers.

Brainy was there, collapsed against one of the furthest consoles of Leviathan’s ship. He looked just like he had in her vision. His inducer was fried, his blond hair clinging precariously to his face with sweat. His green skin was far paler than it should have been and, despite the fact he’d clearly lost consciousness, his body was still taut, fingers clenched where they lay still at his sides.

Nia’s heart felt like it was going to burst from her throat. She ran forward, only to feel someone grab her arm, jerking her to a halt.

“Let _go_ of me!” Nia hissed, feeling the burn of her dream energy as it coiled between her fingers. She looked up dangerously, only to find J’onn staring back at her, true sympathy in his eyes.

“The radiation shield is still functioning,” he said.

“I don’t _care,_ ” Nia gritted, pulling her arm from J’onn’s grip.

“You will if you’re irradiated,” Alex said.

Nia faltered. She hadn’t even noticed Alex behind her, realised there was anyone else in the room at all. Her visions were still coalescing around her, teasing her memory, blending the present and the past so seamlessly together that she couldn’t feel the ground beneath her feet.

“If I phase through the shield, the radiation shouldn’t be able to react with my molecules,” J’onn was saying, though his voice sounded half a mile away. “I do not know the extent of the shield’s power, but even if I am affected, I should have enough time to get him out of there.”

“And I will be here if you need me,” M’gann said, her voice one of duty. Of trust.

Nia’s heart twisted. Just a few hours ago, she’d told M’gann about her connection with Brainy. How it transcended a relationship. M’gann’s relationship to J’onn wasn’t dissimilar from that, and yet that only made the ache in her chest that much worse. She couldn’t tear her eyes from Brainy. Every _second_ that they wasted…

“Please,” Nia said, her teeth clenched so hard that her head ached. “Do it.”

She felt Alex’s hand on her shoulder, but couldn’t so much as look her way. All she could do was watch as J’onn phased through the radiation shield, lifting Brainy carefully into his arms. At first, Brainy hung limply as J’onn carried him bridal-style across the room. Then, suddenly, he tensed up, curling into J’onn’s chest with a gasp, back tight with pain as a spasm ran through his body. His hands gripped at J’onn’s suit, twisting the fabric with trembling fingers.

Nia ran forward to meet them the second they passed through the barrier. She could smell something sharp in the air around Brainy, a bitter tang that caught in the back of her throat. Brainy shuddered again, crying out as he jerked one arm towards his chest, disrupting his life projectors as they continued to glare an off-white. Impulsively, Nia reached for him, grabbing his hand. His skin practically stung to the touch, and from this close she realised that the fine sheen of sweat on his face appeared to be burning right off of him. There were salt tracks on his cheeks where the tears had already evaporated.

Nia’s heart sank to the floor. She squeezed her hand against his, hoping against hope to convey a message to him through the haze. That she was there, that he wasn’t alone. That he would be _okay._

It was weak, but after a moment she felt Brainy’s fingers tighten against her own. His eyes fluttered, opening slowly before meeting Nia’s. The whites of his eyes were almost entirely red, from tears or the radiation Nia really couldn’t tell. His lips trembled, but before he could try and speak, his chest spasmed, pain lancing through him so strongly that Nia thought she could feel it in her own nerves.

A flash of an image caught her off guard, barely seconds into the future, but it was enough for Nia to realise what was about to happen. Brainy’s chest convulsed, his skin paling considerably, and she jerked her head up to meet J’onn’s worried expression.

“J’onn,” Nia warned. “He’s about to-”

Reading the situation correctly, J’onn nodded, manoeuvring himself down to one knee. Nia took a step back as he lowered Brainy to the ground, just in time for him to jerk from J’onn’s grasp, vomiting onto the casino floor.

Nia fell to his side numbly, working on automatic to quickly collect the loose hair stuck to his face, tucking it behind his ears. Brainy’s back tightened as he retched again, so harshly she thought he was going to pass out. Nia grabbed his shoulders, holding him steady.

“It’s alright,” she murmured, her eyes burning. “You’re gonna be okay.” But, his skin was practically on fire, and he felt so weak in her arms that she feared he might fall apart. She could only hold him until the retching tapered off and he finally collapsed against her, chest heaving as though he’d run a marathon.

“Brainy-” Alex said, moving towards them.

“Don’t!” Nia shouted, realising belatedly just how much venom she’d carried in that one word. She cringed, shaking her head. “I mean. Just- don’t, don’t crowd him.”

Alex’s expression softened. She stayed where she was, sharing a worried look with J’onn over Nia’s head.

But Nia didn’t care. Brainy stiffened in her arms, curling into himself as more pain jolted through him. He groaned out, grabbing hold of Nia’s arm, as though searching for anything that might help, but his hold was so weak, his clutch on consciousness so fragile.

“What’s going on?” Nia asked, trying to sound stronger than she felt. “He’s still in _pain,_ but he’s not behind the shield anymore.”

“His cells have been irradiated,” J’onn said grimly. “Techno organic species should be able to flush out such radiation to a certain degree, but if Brainy’s cells are deteriorating faster than his body can manage the decontamination process…”

Nia felt sick. “No, nono _no,_ we got him out, he should be-” She cut herself off with a hiss. “There has to be some way to reverse this. There’s _always_ a way!”

As if in answer, Brainy’s nails bit into her arm. His jaw was rigid with pain, but as Nia glanced down, she realised he was trying to say something.

“L-legion,” Brainy managed; his voice barely carried, but Nia was close enough to hear it. His eyes fluttered open, trying desperately to focus. “Sh-ship. Y-you must- _agh-_ ” Brainy choked out, ducking his head against Nia’s chest as he was seized with pain.

Nia held him tightly, trying desperately to keep him tethered. “Legion ship?” she asked numbly. “Brainy? What do you mean?”

“I know.”

Nia jerked her head up towards Alex, her grip tightening around Brainy as he made a feeble sound at the back of his throat.

Alex’s expression was conflicted. Nia knew she must have been just as terrified as she was, but she hid it well. Instead, she looked at Nia resolutely, her brow knitting together as she considered something. “There are still working healing tanks aboard the Legion ship. If we can get Brainy into one, then that should slow down the deterioration process enough that he can heal. It might even help his body decontaminate from the radiation.”

 _Might._ Nia’s mouth felt dry. “Are you sure?” she asked.

“I’ve only ever seen them in action once,” Alex said. “When Kara…” She drew off, breathing sharply. “If it could heal Kara, then it has to be able to heal Brainy. It’s gotta be what he meant.”

“Then I shall take him there immediately,” J’onn said, reaching down for Brainy.

Instinctively, Nia’s arms tightened around him. Brainy was stiff against her, shuddering intermittently. His hand was still clenched around her arm and she could feel the erratic pulse that beat beneath, drumming against her skin.

“Nia,” J’onn said softly. “It’s alright.”

Nia’s eyes narrowed. “I’m coming with you.”

“Nia-”

“I will take her,” M’gann supplied helpfully.

Relief flooded through her. She looked up to M’gann, finding nothing but understanding in her eyes. Even without telepathy, Nia figured it was pretty obvious how she was feeling, how desperately she needed to be there for him.

_We protect each other._

Nia could only nod her thanks, carefully helping pass Brainy into J’onn’s waiting arms. It took some gentle coaxing to get Brainy to let go of her, and he made a soft sound as J’onn took him, tucking his head against his chest.

“I need to tell Kara what’s happening,” Alex said weakly. “We’ll meet you at the ship. J’onn, the tank…”

“I should be able to work it.”

Alex sagged with relief. “Alright, I’ll see you soon.”

Nia knew she should try and say something, but now that the dreams and her present were stabilising, she suddenly felt so drained. She was barely able to focus on picking herself up enough for M’gann to take her arm. 

The moment that happened, the world lost its focus anyway. Red fog engulfed them both as Nia was pulled into the sky.

* * *

The journey to the Legion ship passed like a blur. The second they’d phased through the doors, Nia immediately stumbled from M’gann’s grip. She barely managed a breathy thank you before she took off down the hall to where she knew J’onn would be headed. 

In truth, Nia had only seen the inside of the Legion ship once. Brainy had given her a _grand tour_ last year, which really did live up to the name. The ship was huge, and boasted technology so advanced and out of this world, it was like stepping right into an episode of _Star Trek_. Even grounded in an off-site hangar, the ship was impressive to look at, both inside and out. Nia used what little knowledge she remembered of the ship’s layout to find her way to the medical lab.

It was easily twice as large as the DEO’s lab had been, and branched out into a secondary room that housed what Brainy had once described to her as ‘healing tanks’. They could be used for a number of purposes, but on the top of the list was the healing properties the water in the tanks contained. It boosted the user’s immune system and could cure a vast quantity of ailments, even encouraging the ugliest of wounds to heal.

Alex hadn’t been sure it’d work on radiation poisoning, and Brainy had never been clear as to what limitations the tanks had - if any - but Nia had to hope. Brainy’s voice still echoed in her mind, raspy and weak. He’d asked them to take him here and so the tank had to be the answer. Even if all it could do was put him in stasis, it _had_ to be enough. Otherwise…

 _No._ She refused to think about it; she _couldn’t._ After months of thinking he’d pushed her aside, grown dispassionate and subdued from his emotions, only to learn that the whole time, he’d been doing it to form a partnership with _Lex._ One that he had only initiated to gain access to Leviathan’s ship, so that he could shrink them, so that he could _save_ his friends…

Nia found J’onn, still holding Brainy close to his chest, reviewing one of the empty tanks with a steady focus. Once he seemed sure of what he was about to do, he looked down at Brainy. Under less stressful circumstances, Nia would have found it sweet. J’onn regarded Brainy with a close to paternal expression, and for just a moment, seeing that fondness in his eyes made Nia feel as though she were intruding on a private moment. When J’onn looked back up, he shifted Brainy slightly in his arms so that he could interact with the keypad on the tank’s face.

“Let me help,” Nia said. She knew M’gann had joined her at the entrance, could feel her eyes on her as she walked over to the tank, but she paid it no mind.

J’onn gladly accepted her assistance, moving Brainy so that they could each grab a hold of him. His green skin was somehow even paler than it had been at the casino, and he still felt strikingly warm to the touch, that wrong burn radiating from his skin, stinging Nia’s fingers like pricks of static. Nia swallowed down her fears, supporting Brainy’s weight as they moved him carefully into the empty tank.

Just as Nia was getting Brainy into position, she felt a sting of hot breath brush against her neck.

“Wher’m I?” Brainy croaked, grimacing as he tried to move. Nia reached for him, gently pressing against his chest, just shy of his life projectors.

“You’re safe,” Nia said softly. “We’re on the Legion ship, in the med lab. We’re gonna help.”

Brainy’s eyes fluttered as he struggled to open them. After a moment, he gave up. “Nia?” he asked, the sound just barely passing his lips.

Nia’s chest flooded with heat. “That’s right,” she said softly. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Brainy shuddered, gritting his teeth. “It hurts,” he choked out. “So _much._ ”

“We’re gonna help,” she said again, ignoring the sudden sting in her eyes. “The tank’s going to help you feel better, okay?”

Brainy moved his head in what she thought might have been a nod. Before he could do anything else, he hissed out, tensing against her. Then, he fell limp, his head lolling forward, pressing like a dead weight against her shoulder.

“Brainy?” Nia asked sharply. Her grip against him tightened, heart racing. “ _Brainy?_ ”

“He’s still breathing,” J’onn said. “Nia, we have to act fast.”

Nia nodded numbly, fixing the harnesses around Brainy’s chest and arms so that he would remain in place while the tank filled up. Once that was done, she took a step back, watching as J’onn sealed the tank, pressing buttons on the keypad that she hoped to _god_ he understood.

After a moment, a gushing sound echoed throughout the room. The tanks behind the chamber made an ugly groaning sound before they began to bubble, filling the pod steadily with water. Nia watched as Brainy’s body was engulfed with the clear liquid, lifting his blond hair around his face like fine tendrils as it rushed up past his face. The glare from his life projectors seemed enhanced by the water somehow, and glowed eerily from the tube, casting shadows across the room. Brainy’s face was still pained, but after a few moments, the lines of distress slowly began to fade.

“Is it working?” Nia murmured.

“His life signs appear to be stabilising,” J’onn said, gesturing to the readings that had begun to present themselves across a screen below the keypad. His eyes widened suddenly. “And, would you look at that.”

Curiously, Nia turned to look at the small screen. Bold red font flashed up across it alongside a network of monitor readings.

**RADIATION DETECTED. DECONTAMINATION IN PROGRESS.**

Nia’s grip around her arms weakened as she sagged in on herself. _It was working._

She felt M’gann come to stand alongside her. A moment later, she felt her hand on her shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. “The Coluan is strong. He will pull through."

“Yeah,” Nia said, trying to force herself to feel as confident as M’gann sounded. “He’ll be okay.”

* * *

Nia didn’t know how long she stood there, watching Brainy as he lay motionless inside the water tank. It hardly felt _real._

Her visions didn’t help with that.

Ever since J’onn and M’gann had ducked out of the room, the flashes had returned with a vengeance. Nia could barely keep track of them. Brainy’s unconscious form was overlapped with images of the past, cascaded upon by warped and twisted metaphors of the last few months. She saw Brainy shaking hands again with Lex, an anxiety so thick in his stomach that it felt like oil. She saw his smile again, sharp and confident, a gleam of fervent eagerness, only to be marred seconds later by fine cracks. They peeled off the smile like a china doll, chipping away to the true image beneath - of Brainy in the Leviathan ship, Brainy crying out in pain, staggered against the console, choking on his own breath as the radiation burned through his nerves.

Nia felt it. She could actually _feel_ it. Like fire alive and writhing inside of her, but she couldn’t move. The images moved too fast. If she tried to discard them, she found more simply took their place. She watched Brainy following Lex’s orders, a frustration and rage building inside of him the further the charade went on. A feeling of loss so deeply rooted in his chest that it threatened to pull them both under. Nia gasped out, tipping forward. Instinctively, she reached out, fingers pressing against the cool glass of Brainy’s tank.

Another image took her back to the past, but this time, it wasn’t Brainy’s face she saw. Although, no, that wasn’t totally true. It _was_ a face she recognised. Director Querl Dox; Brainy’s female doppelganger. Nia realised she must have been seeing her through Brainy’s eyes, witnessing the sympathy that laced her expression first-hand.

_“You must give up everyone and everything you hold dear.”_

The voice had no real footing in her dream world, falling apart the second the words hit the air. But Nia heard them, understood them. Just as she felt the heartbreak inside her chest. Or, no, _Brainy’s_ chest.

_“Even Nia?”_

His words, floating in the space in front of them as though she’d asked them herself.

Then, the room changed. The heartbreak intensified to fire again, hot and lancing through every inch of her body. Nia could feel her fingers scrape the glass of Brainy’s tank, but she couldn’t see her reality anymore. Only Brainy’s. His female counterpart was back again, urging him through the pain, encouraging him to finish before the radiation became too much.

Then the pain dulled to a slow burn, leaching the energy right from her. She saw Brainy’s hand, green fingers pressing tightly against the other Querl’s.

_“W-will you st-stay with m-me?”_

Her grip strengthened around Brainy’s. Nia felt the sensation of her, not quite as solid as a living thing, but instead an extension of Brainy himself, the consciousness he held inside his chest. She squeezed as tightly as she was able.

_“’Till the very end.”_

Nia gasped out. The dream tore from her like a physical mass, leaving her with a cold pit inside of her chest. She shuddered, hugging her body with the arm that wasn’t keeping her upright. She stared at Brainy, unable to articulate anything that she had seen. He was just as motionless as before, globular bubbles distorting his features as they danced past his face. She had so much she wanted to ask, wanted to _know,_ and yet all she could do was stand and stare, a numbness so heavy in her heart, it felt like it was going to pull her apart.

One thing was for sure, though: she was confident now more than ever of what Brainy had been doing for the last few months. Remnants of the fear and pain he’d experienced still lingered inside of her, but she was too stunned to truly absorb the full impact of it. Instead, she focused on the images she’d seen.

Brainy had planned this from the beginning, a poker face he’d maintained against Lex, against Leviathan. But, the mask had been cracking. A mask she’d not been able to break through to, not until the pieces were already crumbling, not until it was all _too late._

 _Who are you?_ It felt like both years and seconds since Nia had asked him that, tears threatening to spill as she’d stood with Brainy in her apartment. He’d told her he couldn’t be with her… but, she hadn’t believed it could be him to say it, _why would he say it?_ In the seconds that had followed, she’d clung desperately to the belief that somehow, another of his doppelgangers had taken his place. And yet, instead, he’d looked her dead in the eyes, told her that he was _himself_ , and despite everything that entailed, the heartbreak it caused her, she’d wanted to believe him, wanted him to be _happy._ But, he hadn’t been happy. And she’d blamed herself, blamed the inhibitors.

She’d been wrong. So, _so,_ wrong.

_Who are you?_

Nia’s fingers tensed against the glass.

Maybe now, she’d find out.

* * *

She’d only just managed to shake the strangeness of the vision from her mind before she registered sounds coming from down the hall. A second later, Kara appeared in the doorway, Alex just a few steps behind.

“Nia- what- what happened?” Kara asked breathlessly, her eyes darting around the room. Nia stiffened when Kara’s eyes met Brainy’s tank. Her brows knitted together as she took in a sharp breath. “Oh, Rao.”

Alex didn’t say a word as she entered, could only stare speechlessly at Brainy’s unconscious body, buffered gently by the slow flowing water. 

It was Kara who managed to tear her gaze away first. “Alex told me that-that Brainy was the one who stopped Leviathan. That you had a vision?”

Nia gritted her teeth. “It’s… _so_ much more than that,” she admitted. She paused as she heard another set of footsteps and, a moment later, J’onn appeared. From the look on his face, she figured he was drawn back by the sudden commotion. Nia cleared her throat. “Everything we thought- everything _I_ thought, was wrong.” Her jaw stiffened as she raised her chin, meeting each of her friends’ faces individually. “Brainy was working for Lex, that’s true, but he was never on his side. Everything he did was to stop Leviathan, to get to their ship. He used his ancestor’s technology on them. He shrunk them.”

“The ship was irradiated to prevent intruders from entering,” J’onn added lowly, glancing to Kara.

“He sacrificed his own life,” Kara murmured. She turned her attention back to the tank, walking towards it with folded arms. “Brainy…” she asked softly. “ _Why_ didn’t you tell us?”

“I don’t think he could,” Nia said weakly. “I tried- I tried so _hard_ to get him to talk after the DEO got destroyed, but he was holding back on me. I keep-” She sucked in a breath, closing her eyes. “These visions are different, they’re not just images, it’s like I can feel what Brainy felt during the flashes I see of him. He was so, so confident that what he was doing was the only way. He’d run every outcome. To save the world from Leviathan, he had to do it alone, or Lex would have never have trusted him.” Nia winced as Brainy’s imperious smile lanced through her mind yet again, forcing her eyes open.

“No one knew he was there,” Alex said tightly. She sounded angry, but Nia didn’t think it was directed at anyone in particular.

“If I hadn’t dreamt of his location when I did, then…” Nia swiped at her face, rubbing her eyes fiercely. “There’s more. The bottle I saw in my vision, the one Brainy captured Leviathan with, it wasn’t in the ship when we got there, and there’s no way Brainy would have been able to move it anywhere.”

“What are you saying?” Kara asked.

“I’m saying, there’s more to my dreams than just Brainy or even Leviathan. Lex had his strings all over him.” Nia shook her head with a wince. “Sorry. Metaphor. I mean, Brainy and Lex were both playing each other, constantly, and I think Lex took his final play. I think he took the bottle.”

“Three gods miniaturised inside of a single container,” J’onn muttered. “The power would be incredible, but also unstable.”

“We have to find him,” Kara said, arms tightening around herself. “M’gann is already out on a patrol. I should join her.”

“I’ll liaise with Lena,” Alex muttered. “She might have a few ideas of her brother’s hide-outs, especially with how close they’ve been recently.”

Kara smiled grimly.

“I’ll stay here,” Nia added, clearing her throat. “I’ll try to dream up anything about Lex’s location.” She sighed, glancing back to Brainy’s tank. His expression was just as still as every other time before it. “The tank says it’ll take about twelve hours to fully decontaminate, but I want to be here in case anything…”

“Of course.” Alex said, her eyes full of understanding. “Let us know if you see anything.”

* * *

The next few hours felt disjointed, to the point Nia felt like no time was passing at all.

Brainy’s condition stayed the same. His vitals held steady and the tank’s decontamination sequence remained uninterrupted. In a few more hours, he’d be out of the tank. So, why did that only make the tension in her stomach worse?

Nia had no idea what would happen when the tank drained, what kind of state Brainy would be in once he opened his eyes. All she could remember was the pain in his expression, how frail he’d been as he’d collapsed against her chest on the casino floor. A shadow of that pain seemed to drum through her now, echoing from her earlier vision.

Back at Leviathan’s ship, it had felt so natural to fall into old habits; holding him close to her like that hadn’t even felt strange. In the moment, none of the tension between them had mattered. They’d always fought side-by-side, but more importantly, they fought to keep each other safe.

 _Safe._ Nia nearly laughed at the notion. If she’d been just a few minutes later, if she hadn’t had that dream, if her visions hadn’t forced her to the _brink_ to listen to what they’d been screaming at her for months…

Nia breathed slowly through her nose, ducking her head. This was pointless, she had to focus. Lex was still out there, and he had the power of Leviathan behind him.

_Strings. Fine as silk._

Nia blinked, frowning. For just a second, she’d seen the cards again. Leviathan’s and Lex’s and even Brainy’s, all connected to something else, something _more._ But, these weren’t silk-fine threads; instead they were wires, alive and pulsing and connected to… to what? _Who?_

“Nia?”

Nia started, sucking in a breath so hard she nearly choked. She could see Alex’s reflection, slightly warped in Brainy’s tank, staring at her worriedly.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Alex said softly. “Are you still getting flashes?”

Nia shook her head. “There’s still something I’m not seeing.” She snorted to herself. “But, what else is new, right?”

“I can go-”

“No, it’s fine,” Nia said. “Did you need something?”

“Actually, I came to see how you were.”

Nia smiled tightly. “Oh, you know, never better.”

Alex sighed, walking over to join Nia’s side. She folded her arms; her eyes seemed to glimmer as she watched the tank, a frustrated line creasing her brow. “It’s not easy,” she said suddenly. “Seeing him like this.” She smiled sharply. “And you know what’s stupid? I _want_ to be pissed at him. He lied to me, he partnered with Lex and let us believe he was _our_ eyes and ears for the DEO when instead, he was…” Alex cut herself off, swallowing hard. “But, then I see him like this, and I remember how he looked when we found him in Leviathan’s ship and suddenly nothing else matters. Because, at the heart of it, he did this for us. It’s exactly the kind of stupid self-sacrificial plan that our whole damned group is known for.” She wiped her eyes suddenly, chuckling. “I hate him for it. For scaring the hell out of us.”

“I second that,” Nia murmured.

“I wish I’d seen it,” Alex muttered. “I knew there was something wrong, something different. And it wasn’t his inhibitors. He pretended to be so detached, but every now and then I saw something. The real Brainy coming through. But after everything with Lex and Obsidian, _Leviathan,_ I just- there was never _time_.”

Nia closed her eyes. “I blamed myself,” she murmured. “I thought that maybe, maybe Brainy needed those inhibitors. Maybe telling him to take them off hadn’t given him himself back. He just seemed so unhappy; he didn’t laugh, didn’t smile. He never came out with us.”

Nia didn’t want to say it, admit that a part of her had thought that _she_ had been the problem. That maybe, maybe Brainy hadn’t wanted to be around her anymore. That the break-up was more than just the end of their romantic relationship, but the end of _everything._ It had hurt her more than she cared to admit, and she’d probably eaten her weight in ice cream to try and cover that fact more times than she could count.

“I want to be angry, too,” Nia admitted quietly. She looked at Brainy, his expression so muted beneath the water’s haze. In such a state, she could see no sadness, no weights tying him down. He almost looked… peaceful. “But I can’t. I just… I can’t.”

“He’s family,” Alex agreed. “But that doesn’t mean it can’t hurt like a bitch.”

Nia smirked. “Yeah.”

They stood there for a moment, the only sounds emanating from the tank as it continued to bubble softly. If Nia closed her eyes, she could have kidded herself into believing that she was stood by a quiet creek and not in front of the device working to save her ex’s life.

 _Ex._ That thought sliced through her, harder than any time before it. She swallowed hard, rubbing the moisture from her eyes.

After a moment, Alex cleared her throat. “I have to get back to work. I promised Lena I’d figure out this ship’s interface enough to see if we could get it running a more in-depth scan of the city. It sucks not having the DEO at our disposal. Or… anyone’s disposal.”

Or, having Brainy there. Alex didn’t need to say it; they were both thinking it, after all. Brainy could have had the ship up and running in seconds, he knew the ins and outs of every piece of tech aboard. Missing him wasn’t just a hole inside of Nia’s heart, but a hole in their entire dynamic as a team. And as Nia stared at Brainy’s tank, she couldn’t even begin to imagine what life could have been like without him.

“Go do your thing,” Nia said, forcing a smile. “I’m gonna try my dreams again. Maybe I can get something clearer than just another card game.”

She felt Alex’s hand on her shoulder and placed her own against it, squeezing tightly.

“Good luck.”

Nia chuckled. “You, too.”

* * *

As it turned out, dreaming was easier said than done.

Where before the flashes hadn’t wanted to leave her alone, now, Nia found she had a new problem. No matter how hard she tried to connect to the Naltorian dreamscape, she couldn’t see anything. Slumped against one of the empty tanks across the room, she’d tried to slip into a vision – _any_ vision – that could help her figure out Lex’s location, what that card game had meant, who this _other player_ was, but the more she tried, the darker her dreams became.

Eventually, all she could do was stand alone in the void, calling out for something, anything, to reach her. But nothing came. No profound vision, no answers for their current situation at all.

Just… emptiness.

Nia let go of her dreamscape with a frustrated huff, pulling herself back to the brink of consciousness. Maybe the previous flashes she’d seen had wiped her out, she certainly felt exhausted enough for that, but she couldn’t help but wonder if it went deeper than that. Maybe… maybe, she was just too distracted. 

Rubbing her eyes, Nia glanced back towards Brainy’s tank. She’d chosen to sit at a spot furthest from Brainy, hoping that the space might have given her the chance to blank out her mind. Turned out, that had been a pretty crappy idea.

She frowned. Brainy wasn’t alone anymore. As she allowed her eyes to adjust to the dark room, she began to recognise the shape of another person stood in front of his tank.

Kara.

Her body was silhouetted by the glow of Brainy’s life projectors, added to by the soft natural light that reflected from the glimmering water tank. It hummed softly as Kara stood motionlessly before it. Her arms were folded across her chest, but Nia could see the tension that ran through them. If she’d been able to see her expression, she knew it would have been troubled.

Nia picked herself up from the floor, clearing her throat. “Kara?”

Kara startled at the interruption, half turning her head to meet Nia’s eyes. Nia’s stomach sank at the sight; yeah, she’d been right. _All_ kinds of troubled.

Nia pursed her lips, walking over to stand at Kara’s side. As Nia glanced from Kara to the tank, she could spy the similarities between her and Alex. She didn’t think it had ever been clearer to her that the two of them were sisters. They wore identical expressions, emitting their worry very similarly through their eyes, right down to the lip bite.

Carefully, Nia bumped Kara’s shoulder. “What’re you thinking?”

Kara’s lips thinned into a tight smile. She ducked her head, shrugging. “That this must’ve been what I looked like when Brainy first met me.” She huffed out an exhausted laugh. “Not for me, though. For me, I was in my mind palace, doing my best to tear the whole thing apart. And Brainy… he’d had to talk to me, try to reason with me, and all the while a part of him was seeing me like this.” Her smiled weakened. “How did he _do_ it?”

Nia chuckled despite herself. “You know, he told me about that. He said he had to put on a lot of bravado to hide the fact he was all kinds of star struck.”

Kara snorted, her shoulders loosening slightly. “Brainy? Star struck?”

“I mean, from the time he’s from, you’re legendary. Well, I guess you’re pretty legendary here, too, but apparently the future has more statues.”

Kara laughed at that. She pressed two fingers to her lips, clearing her throat.

Nia folded her arms, looking back at Brainy. She wanted to think he had more colour to him now, the vibrancy of his green skin more pronounced, even with the starkness of the water washing him out. His blond hair looked feather-like as it was bounced around by the steady rhythms of the liquid. He looked better, _so much_ better than before.

“When he saw you like that,” Nia said carefully. “He said that despite everything, he could feel how strong you were.” She bit her lip. “But Brainy’s strong, too. He’ll be okay.” _He’ll be okay._ God, it felt like a mantra by this point. But at least now, Nia could see it, the physical reality of her words. She glanced at the tank’s readings. Just a few more hours until decontamination finished.

Her chest twisted at the thought. She wasn’t totally sure why.

Kara sighed, wiping at her face. “After the DEO,” she said shakily, “what he said to Rama Khan, I didn’t want to believe that he was working for Lex, and I was just so _so_ tired of being betrayed.” Kara laughed humourlessly, gesturing to the floor. “And then Lena just turns up on my doorstep trying to apologise and I-” Her lips trembled. Nia lifted her hand automatically, taking her shoulder. Kara glanced at her with a thankful smile before she sighed, turning her attention back to the tank. “At that point, I didn’t know what to think of anyone. I was angry and frustrated and I dismissed it. Dismissed him. And now this.” She shook her head. “ _Rao,_ not even a day ago I ranted to Lena about how this team was _my_ responsibility, how it’d kill me if anyone got hurt and- and Brainy could have died. We wouldn’t have even known.”

“I-” Nia began, before closing her mouth. Kara looked at her, with an openness and kindness that was truly striking. Nia relaxed slightly; despite how close she was to Kara, sometimes when she was in full Supergirl garb, it felt kind of weird. Like she was talking to someone so righteous, so _powerful_. Despite the fact that they were the same person, Nia had always found it easier to speak to Kara as _Kara,_ not as a superhero.

But now Kara was stood there, nano-suit fully intact, and she wasn’t this powerful entity, she was just Kara, as she always had been. Kara who was scared for her friend, her _family,_ who felt like she’d not done enough, who was beating herself up over the same things Nia felt in her own heart. If she couldn’t say it now, then what was the point?

Nia sighed. “How you feel… about being responsible? I feel it too.” She drew in a shaky breath. “I’ve been getting flashes now, for weeks, of Brainy. Not really visions _of_ him, but no matter what I dreamt, he was there somehow. And, and I didn’t connect the dots, not because my dreams weren’t clear enough, but because I didn’t _want_ to. I was hurt, I was- I was heartbroken. And so, I thought that was why I kept seeing him.” She withdrew her hand from Kara’s shoulder, folding her arms over her chest, squeezing tight. “Although, I guess that’s exactly what Brainy was hoping for. He distanced himself from all of us so we’d be safe from whatever he was planning. So that none of us would get hurt.”

“Except for him.”

Nia’s hands clenched. “He’ll be okay,” she repeated.

Kara lifted her hand, and, carefully, pressed it against the glass, encompassing the light of Brainy’s own life projector. The white glow bled between her fingers, casting shadows across her face. “When this is all done,” Kara said, blinking to keep any tears at bay. “When Lex is dealt with and Brainy’s recovered, we’re all gonna have the biggest, craziest slumber party slash game night the world has ever _seen._ ”

Laughter bubbled in Nia’s chest and she grinned, leaning her head against Kara’s shoulder. In response, she felt Kara’s free arm wrap around her back, squeezing her tight. “That sounds awesome,” she agreed.

* * *

The last hour felt like it would never end. And yet, the closer the tank’s timer counted down to zero, the more Nia became aware of an apprehensive twist deep inside of her gut.

It was stupid. She’d been waiting for this since Brainy had first been put in the tank, since the decontamination had been proven to work, since she _knew_ he’d be fine.

And yet, that didn’t stop her from feeling like something might still go wrong.

J’onn and Kara were there when the timer finally ended, and Nia watched numbly as the tank made another lengthy gurgle before it began to drain. Brainy didn’t stir as the water sloshed past his shoulders, leaving his hair cemented to the sides of his face, curling around his jaw. His head lolled slightly with nothing to keep it upright, and Nia watched as his chest hitched and fell steadily, no longer clenched tight with pain.

He didn’t open his eyes.

Next, hot air hissed through the tank, drying Brainy’s clothes and hair way faster than any hair dryer from their century could have accomplished. Even still, he didn’t wake.

“His vitals are normal,” J’onn noted. “Although, it’s likely he will still need some time. I can’t imagine the tanks allow for proper rest.”

Kara’s lips soured. “Yeah, being trapped inside a mind palace can be pretty terrible.”

Nia’s heart twisted at that. When she’d first had a reprieve from the flashes, she’d tried to connect to Brainy’s subconscious in some way, but it had felt like there was a barrier, pushing her out. J’onn hadn’t had any luck, either. Whether it was the water causing interference or Brainy himself, Nia wasn’t sure, but considering everything he’d been through, she could understand why he might have seen reason to keep his mind private. 

It didn’t make her feel any better about it, though.

When the tank’s lock finally disengaged, J’onn took Brainy to one of the medical beds in the main lab. After being in such a dim setting for so long, the light felt nearly intrusive, the glare of the white walls lancing pain into the back of Nia’s skull.

She ignored it. Ignored everything except Brainy, unconscious and unmoving on the bed. His lips were parted slightly, small unrestricted breaths passing between them at steady intervals. It took her a moment to realise that there was no longer a glass window separating them. Nia reached out and, tentatively, slipped her fingers through Brainy’s. His skin no longer burned against hers, instead warming naturally to her touch. She smiled, squeezing gently.

“I still can’t reach his mind,” J’onn said carefully. “But I sense a deep-seated exhaustion from him. The radiation might be out of his cells, but his body and mind still need time to recuperate.”

Kara pursed her lips. “I should go talk to Lena, I promised I’d keep her updated on my patrols.”

“Indeed. And I should join M’gann in her search in the meantime,” J’onn added.

Neither of them were very subtle, but Nia appreciated the gesture of offering her some time alone. “Thanks,” she murmured, keeping her eyes on Brainy.

“We’ll be back as soon as he’s awake,” J’onn assured.

“Or, like, five minutes after, _maybe_ ten, you know,” Kara winked, “however long you need.”

Nia only rolled her eyes.

Once Kara and J’onn left, Nia pulled up one of the few chairs in the room. For future standards, she’d kind of expected them to be more comfortable than what they offered. Still, it was better than nothing. After spending the last half day either stood up or hunched against a water tank, she was grateful for anything she could sit down on.

The apprehension was still there, but the longer Nia had time to think about it, the more she realised that maybe it was less about fearing whether Brainy would wake up and more about what would happen when he did.

There was so much that had gone unspoken between them. Months of Brainy keeping his distance no matter what, shutting down chances for conversations, dodging out of any kind of social gatherings. It weighed on her, and even though she knew why he’d done it, that didn’t keep it from stinging.

_Even Nia?_

Brainy’s words echoed through her head even now. Those flashes of memory still hung heavily in the walls of her subconscious, refusing to leave. The heartache Brainy had felt in that moment was equal to what she’d felt when he’d come to her apartment that same night, when he’d broken things off with her without so much as a goodbye. She hadn’t understood it then, and even now, even after everything she’d learned, she couldn’t help but wonder.

Would she even know him when he woke up?

And a selfish whisper beat inside her mind a moment later. _Would he even want to be with me?_

Nia was startled from her thoughts when she felt a gentle pressure against her fingers. So weak she thought she’d imagined it at first but then it happened again, Brainy’s hand tightening around her own. His chest hitched with a groan and he grimaced, shifting on the bed. His eyes fluttered, only for him to quickly close them again.

“Bright,” he murmured, swallowing thickly. He made a small gesture with his free hand, lifting it as far as he could manage, but nothing happened. He made a feeble sound at the back of his throat, dropping his arm back onto the mattress.

Nia’s heart sank. Normally, Brainy could interact with nearly any electronic device remotely. Light switches were probably one of the simpler things he could manage, and when they’d been together, Nia had always enjoyed the novelty of seeing it. But, right now? Right now, he was exhausted, confused, and Nia desperately wanted to make him feel as comfortable as possible.

“Crap,” she murmured, glancing towards the far wall. There was a network of switches to choose from, none of which she knew how to work. Even still, she squeezed Brainy’s hand once before letting it go, running across the room to try and figure it out. Turned out, there was a dimmer setting of sorts on a touch-based dial. After a few failed attempts at getting the thing to interact with her, she finally figured it out, lowering the lights to something far more manageable for them both. 

Brainy had relaxed back into his pillow when Nia returned. His back was propped up slightly on the medical bed, enough that he lay at a steady incline. He shifted again and, very carefully, opened his eyes.

They weren’t bloodshot anymore, but they remained heavy lidded, even as he focused slowly on the room.

“Brainy?” Nia asked carefully. “How do you feel?”

Brainy winced, closing his eyes. “Tired,” he murmured. Then, he stiffened, gasping out as he bolted upright, dark eyes suddenly incredibly wide. “No, nonono _no, Lex!_ ”

Instinctively, Nia reached for Brainy’s hand again. “It’s alright,” she said. “We’re working on it.”

“No,” Brainy said again, choking out a strained laugh. “He’s gonna use Leviathan. It’s _my_ _fault._ ”

Nia squeezed his fingers. “Brainy, it’s fine, okay? We’ll find him. What you did, you _saved_ us. You stopped Leviathan.” She faltered, trying to meet his eyes. “If you hadn’t done what you did, I wouldn’t be here.”

Brainy’s chest was still heaving faster than she liked, but that seemed to calm him enough to properly take in his surroundings. He looked down at himself, expression uncertain. “I- _I_ should not be here,” he said.

Nia watched as Brainy lifted his free hand towards his chest, toying unthinkingly with one of his life projectors. She didn’t have to know which one was which to understand.

“I saw her,” she murmured.

Brainy’s expression shifted at that. He turned to her, watching her warily.

Nia offered him a small smile. “The other you, I mean. I saw her in my dreams. In flashes.” She swallowed with some difficulty. “Brainy, you- you sacrificed everything for this, and I didn’t pay attention to the signs. I should have-” Her tongue suddenly felt thick in her mouth. She glanced away, closing her eyes. “You could have died.”

“I was prepared to.”

“I wasn’t.” Nia’s grip around his fingers tightened. She glanced up, meeting his expression steadily. He looked so tired, so lost, but he was _there._ He was awake and talking and that had to be enough. “When we got you out of there, you told us this was where we had to take you, but you were in so much pain and I…” She faltered. “We got you here. And, and J’onn put you in a water tank.”

Brainy looked away from her. He looked distracted, frustrated, uncomfortable in his own skin. She recognised the look in his eyes at least, a far away expression he got when he was communicating more with his inner networks than any kind of external stimulus. Except, if the look on his face was any indicator, it appeared he was finding it difficult.

After a moment, Brainy sighed. “How long?” he asked.

“About twelve hours,” Nia admitted. “J’onn and M’gann are out in the city, and Kara and Lena are working to find Lex and yeah, I’ll explain all of that later, but Lena’s on our side now.”

Brainy laughed stiffly at that. “She believed I was working for her brother as well.”

“Well, she knows the truth now,” Nia said. “We all do. I was- I was having dreams, more like flashes of memories, I guess, of _your_ memories. I know you were only distancing yourself from us so you could find Leviathan’s location, so that Lex would trust you.”

“He trusts no one,” Brainy muttered.

Nia sighed. “Those memories I saw. They weren’t just images. I think I felt how you were feeling.” Her stomach soured as a few choice ones flooded back. “Brainy…”

“I was terrified,” he said stiffly. She felt his fingers tighten against her own as he ducked his head. Limp strands of blond hair fell across his face. “I hid everything that I was to fool Lex, but-but it began pooling out and I couldn’t…” He closed his eyes, taking a sharp breath. “Even after everything, what he worked for to-to _stop_ Leviathan, in the end he only cared about Supergirl’s destruction.” He grimaced. “He used _my_ plan to his advantage. I should have seen it, I should have _known,_ but-but I had to move so fast, there was no other outcome to keep you all safe and-and I did not see it until it was much too late.”

“Hey,” Nia reached up, swiping the hair from Brainy’s forehead with her free hand. He glanced at her, dark eyes shimmering. “We’ll fix that,” she said. “We know he has the bottle, we’ll find him. We can stop him. We _will_ stop him.”

Brainy watched her unsurely. “I lied to you,” he said.

Nia’s stomach pitted at that. “I know.”

“No,” Brainy said, shaking his head. “I- Everything I did, keeping my distance from you, refusing to speak to you, I did it because I-I was afraid that I would be unable to keep this from you. To keep you safe. It was imperative.” He shook his head, laughing shakily. “But even rationalising it in such a way changes nothing. I hurt you. I continued to hurt you for _months_.”

Nia sighed. “Yeah,” she said softly. “You did.”

Brainy watched her, his expression so pained it stung.

She took a deep breath. “Look, I’m not going to pretend that you didn’t break my heart. I couldn’t understand why your feelings had changed and… and I started to second guess myself, my powers, and I ignored what they were telling me because I just assumed that… that you were getting inside my head.”

“Nia…” Brainy lifted his arm, and though she could see a tremble in his wrist, he still managed to take her other hand, squeezing as tightly as he could manage. “I’m so sorry.”

Nia smiled. Her eyes were beginning to sting. “I forgive you,” she said. “On _one_ condition.”

Brainy’s eyes widened at that.

“Never, _ever_ scare me like that again.”

Brainy’s expression softened. “I-I will do my best.”

The tears were coming now, Nia could feel them burning in her head. She sniffed, unable to stifle a small sob. Everything she’d felt had been building to this, and she couldn’t stop it even if she tried. Brainy’s eyes were beginning to cloud as well, and before he could say anything more, Nia let go of his hands, shifting onto the bed so that she could hug him fiercely.

Brainy sat stunned for half a second before his arms wrapped securely around her back. His grip on her wasn’t as tight as it should have been, but she could feel his face as he tucked it against her shoulder, the heat of his breath as a sob of his own escaped his lips.

Nia could do nothing but hold him, burying her face against his neck. He was warm and solid and _real_ in her arms, but above all else, he was _Brainy_ again. The mask he’d been parading about had finally broken. Whatever barricades he’d had up to hide his true intentions – his true _self –_ from everyone had well and truly crumbled, leaving what Nia hoped was the real uninhibited Brainy beneath. She grinned through her tears, squeezing him tightly. She was really, really looking forward to meeting him.

“You’re awake!”

Nia felt Brainy tense in her arms. He may not have felt as weak against her as before, but she knew he was still tender. Loud noises, even the sounds of his friends, appeared uncomfortable for him.

Nia lifted her head, speaking lowly into his ear. “It’s alright,” she murmured.

After a moment, Brainy’s back relaxed and he nodded against her. She felt his lips, warm and familiar, brush against her throat as he pulled away. Her face warmed, trying to ignore the excited trill that danced along her skin as a result.

Brainy ran a hand over his face weakly, looking over Nia’s shoulder. It had been Kara who had spoken, but as Nia turned, she realised that Alex was also stood at her side as well, looking equal parts relieved and nervous.

Brainy listed slightly as he evaluated his new surroundings and without thinking, Nia pressed her shoulder against his, keeping him upright. She thought she saw Kara glance her way, but it happened so quickly she couldn’t be sure.

“Kara,” Brainy finally managed, before glancing to her sister. “Alex.” His hands clenched uselessly. “Nia has told me that you have been made aware of what transpired.”

“We have,” Alex said, folding her arms. Her eyebrows knitted together in thought before she bit her lip, walking over to them.

When she was sure Brainy could hold himself up, Nia slid back onto her chair, hoping to give the two of them a little more privacy. When Alex stopped in front of him, she seemed to take note of how fragile he still was. Her eyes glazed with concern as her arms slackened around herself.

Brainy seemed to know what she wanted to ask, because after a moment of guarded silence, his jaw loosened and he nodded.

That was all Alex needed. She cleared the small space between them, wrapping her arms firmly around Brainy’s back. Brainy’s arms lifted automatically, fingers clenched against the back of her jacket as he sighed, closing his eyes.

“ _God,_ Brainy,” Alex said, pulling away enough to look him firmly in the eyes. “Never, _ever,_ do that again.”

Brainy’s lips twitched into a wry smile. He glanced at Nia over Alex’s shoulder. “You are the second person to tell me that.”

Nia bit the inside of her cheek.

Alex chuckled. “And something tells me I won’t be the last. Just wait ‘til J’onn’s back.” She patted his cheek, pressing her lips against his forehead. “You scared the hell out of us, Brainy.”

Brainy grimaced. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, you _better_ be.”

“For everything,” Brainy continued earnestly. “I know that- I know that I betrayed all of your trust.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Kara said. “Brainy, what you did was incredibly brave.” Nia realised that Kara’s lips had begun to tremble. She swiped at her eyes unthinkingly. “We’re just- just glad that you’re okay.”

Alex looked at her sister knowingly. “Come on, you goober, bring it in.”

Kara didn’t need to be told twice. She sped over to her sister’s side, wrapping her arms around Brainy. Before Nia could react, Alex had grabbed her by the shirt, tugging her into the group hug. She found herself at a spot by Brainy’s shoulder, could feel the steady heat of him as she tucked her head by his arm. Even still, she kept an eye on his expression. He appeared startled by the sudden attention, but not uncomfortable. He let Kara press her forehead to his before kissing his cheek, and Alex ruffled his hair. The tank had made it extra fluffy, which gave everyone a good minute’s worth of chuckling.

And that was another thing. Brainy _laughed._ Actually, _really,_ laughed. Nia hadn’t realised how much she’d missed it. All these months of lying to everyone had left so much tension wound inside his body; she’d felt parts of it when she’d been stuck in those flashes, but it was only now, seeing that happy and uninhibited gleam in his eyes that she really understood how much he’d been holding back.

She wanted to hug him all over again.

Instead, after a moment, the gleam in Brainy’s eyes faded, and he shuffled uncomfortably. “Thank you,” he murmured softly, glancing up at his friends. “After all I did… I calculated an incredibly low likelihood for your forgiveness.” Nia didn’t miss the way his eyes tracked to hers. “I do not feel that I deserve it.”

“Of course you do,” Alex said. “You’re our family, Brainy, and we’re hard to get rid of.” She smiled impishly, knocking his shoulder gently. “Just don’t think that you’re completely off the hook, I mean yes, we _are_ still pissed. That comes with nearly _killing yourself_ to save the day.” Her expression sobered and she squeezed his shoulder, smiling softly. “But we love you, and that’s never gonna change.”

Kara rolled her eyes. “For the record, I think I’m all angered-out.” She grinned. “But we do love you, Brainy.”

Brainy looked to Alex, then Kara. “I love you, too,” he said, before his gaze moved to Nia’s. There was something so genuine in his eyes, glimmering and open, and Nia thought she knew what he was trying to convey, but at the same time that apprehension continued to twist her gut, and she couldn’t allow herself to think it. So, she stayed quiet, running her hand carefully down his arm.

After a moment’s pause, Brainy’s eyes tracked back to the sheets. “We must defeat Lex,” he said, an edge to his voice.

“We’re trying to find him,” Kara said, folding her arms. “M’gann and J’onn are out searching the hideouts that Lena knows about.”

Brainy straightened. “I can connect to the Legion mainframe-”

“Whoa,” Alex said, grabbing Brainy’s shoulder. “No, you’re _so_ not doing that. Lena and I can handle figuring out this ship, you just watch us.”

“But-”

“Brainy, half a day ago, you nearly died. You’re getting bedrest.” Alex smirked. “Doctor’s orders.”

“Ooh, she pulled the doctor card,” Kara said in a stage whisper. “You’re not getting out of that one, Brainy.”

To his credit, Brainy didn’t appear too displeased with that outcome. He sagged a little, nodding his head. “Very well.”

Nia could understand why. The bags beneath his eyes seemed more pronounced than earlier, and he was struggling to keep them open. She smiled sadly; it looked like everything had finally caught up on him. Brainy was exhausted.

“We’ll let you rest,” Alex said, squeezing Brainy’s arm once more for good measure. “And, once you’re feeling better, maybe then I’ll think about you helping out, alright?”

Brainy’s lips twisted into a grateful smile. 

Nia watched Kara and Alex file out of the room but, before she could follow their lead, Brainy’s hand took her wrist.

“Nia, can I talk to you?”

Nia’s chest tightened at that. The apprehension in her gut strengthened tenfold. “We’ll have plenty of time for that, Brainy.”

“Please?”

Well, she couldn’t exactly say no to that. Nia smiled, rolling her eyes. She slipped back onto her chair.

Brainy shifted uncomfortably, glancing away. “I can’t take back what I did to you,” he said lowly. “But you said- you said that you had been second guessing yourself and I wanted you to know that it was not you, it was never you. I didn’t want to leave you.” He looked to her resolutely. “Nia, I never stopped caring for you.”

Nia could feel her eyes begin to sting again. She shook her head, smiling sharply. “After we got you back here, I wasn’t sure how real the flashes I saw of you were, but there was one I saw, of you and your doppelganger at Al’s bar. When she said you couldn’t be with me, I think I felt what you felt. It was like…” She squeezed her eyes shut. “Heartbreak. I guess.”

Nia felt Brainy’s hand brush against hers. She opened her eyes, finding that he was watching her, his eyes large and apologetic. “It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done,” he admitted. “I will never forgive myself.”

“Hey.” Nia took Brainy’s hand at that admission, squeezing his fingers. “Please, don’t do that. It hurt, of course it hurt, but I’ve been a superhero long enough now to know that we have to make difficult choices.” She shrugged. “It doesn’t make them suck any less, but I know you did it for the right reasons.”

Brainy scanned her weakly. “Nia…”

“I forgive you,” Nia said softly. “I want you to be able to forgive yourself, too.” She reached up, pausing suddenly. It had all felt so natural before, to touch him, to be there for him, but now that he wasn’t crumpled in pain, it suddenly felt like she might be overstepping. Even still, their fingers remained intertwined and so, carefully, Nia ran her free hand along the side of Brainy’s face, cupping his cheek.

He closed his eyes at the contact, letting out a soft breath. Nia smiled, scooting forward enough that she could press her lips against his forehead.

As she drew away, she brushed her thumb along the delicate skin beneath his eye. “Get some rest, Wildcat. You’re gonna need it.” She grinned, rolling her eyes. “I think we all will.”

Brainy perked up at that, squeezing her wrist. “You could… stay.”

Nia’s face warmed up. “Brainy…”

Brainy cleared his throat awkwardly. “That is…” He looked at her unsurely. “ _Will_ you stay?”

Nia’s heart twisted, and for just a second one of the flashes teased the edge of her mind. She saw Brainy’s doppelganger again, with her fingers entwined around his own. Nia squeezed Brainy thoughtlessly, a warm trill running up her arm.

She smiled, nodding. “Of course, Brainy.” She glanced at the bed. “Uh, so, how are we doing this?”

Brainy was still stiff and achy, but he scooted across the bed enough to give Nia room on the limited space. At the very least, these medical beds were slightly larger than the ones the DEO had had to offer. Nia grinned, remembering fondly of a few times when they’d wound up getting into a scrape bad enough to necessitate an over-night stay there. They’d always made do before, and Nia realised it was remarkably easy to slip back into old habits.

As she slotted herself next to Brainy, the apprehension that had sat so heavily in her stomach began to ease. Brainy didn’t lie on his back as he often did; instead, he curled onto his side, watching her with tired, curious eyes.

Nia felt a fluttering in her stomach. She bit back the urge to grin, lifting her arm. “Come here.”

Brainy’s expression softened and he closed the small space between them. Nia wrapped her arm around his back as Brainy relaxed against her, tucking his face into her shoulder. This time, Nia definitely felt the press of Brainy’s lips against her neck, lingering for a long moment.

Then, he sighed, soft heat warming her throat. “I love you, Nia Nal,” he murmured, his mouth so close that his voice prickled pleasantly across her skin.

Maybe Brainy had already fallen asleep - the soft hitch and fall of his chest would have certainly pointed towards that - and maybe they still had a ways to go, _certainly_ a much harder battle ahead of them. But, in that moment, Nia didn’t care about any of that. Instead, she pressed her lips against Brainy’s hair, tightening her hold around him as he drifted into peaceful slumber.

“I love you, too.”


End file.
